A quirky rule of being an NFL franchise is that on every Thursday before a game you’re made to file an injury report with the league’s head office, declaring the status of any player of your 53-man roster who may be unable to play in the upcoming weekend’s games. (The bands of status are Probable, Questionable, Doubtful, and Out.)
31 of the NFL’s 32 teams have always followed this rule pretty much to the letter. The 32nd, the New England Patroits, have brazenly made a mockery of it for as long as anyone can remember, listing fit players as crocked in order to throw off their opponents’ gameplan for the week. The most high profile example is that of their star quarterback, Tom Brady. Brady hasn’t missed an NFL start since 30 September 2001, yet for every game in the last FOUR YEARS he’s been listed as probable with a sore right shoulder. It’s almost become an in-joke between head coach Bill Belichick and the league’s front office. Just one that the other 31 teams don’t find very amusing.
Well, the Pats aren’t laughing anymore. For the first time in half a decade, Belichick will file a legitimate injury report this coming Thursday. And it will read: TOM BRADY – OUT. New England lost its star player on Sunday when he tore an ACL in his left leg as he was caught by Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard, and those close to the Pats say he’s done for the year.
As a result, a lot of column inches and internets talk over the next few days and weeks is going to centre upon Brady’s injury being bad for the game. Fans will be told that essentially, they can’t enjoy their gridiron if its biggest star isn’t playing. Late Sunday, coaching legend John Madden said that “the entire NFL was devastated by this tonight”.
In reply to that, let me be the first to call ‘bullshit’.
Not as a personal thing, because while he’s a nasty, whinging baby at the best of times, he’s also a sportsman (by name, if not in morals). And no-one who loves his sport and makes a living playing it deserves to have their career and their livelihood threatened by serious injury, although if Frank Lampard ever has his leg broken you might have to remind me that I wrote that.
Nope, the reason I’ll admit to not feeling the slightest sympathy over the Pats’ plight is because injuries happen in pro sport. They’re a great leveller. For years fans have hoped that their opponents’ best players will have to ‘sit this one out’, and right now 31 head coaches and a whole load of cornerbacks are secretly rejoicing, whatever John Madden may tell you. Switching to English sport for a second, if Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a season-ending injury tomorrow, do you think Chelsea and Man City fans would cry into their pints over it being “bad for the game”? Do you think Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez would shed a little tear about the odds of their clubs winning the Premiership suddenly shortening and declare that “all of football is devastated”?
Of course they wouldn’t, because in pro sports you gleefully make the most of any edge you can get.
I wish Tom Brady a speedy recovery.
But even more, I wish to see the Dolphins smash the Patriots without him.
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